Lists of UK businesses: sector guides
Each guide answers the question people actually ask: where can I get a list of these businesses, and what will I get? It covers the official count, the free registers and their limits, the contact details available to buy, who makes the decisions, and the marketing rules that apply to that sector.
Business lists by sector: what's available
The records, named contacts and named contact emails we hold for each sector, with email coverage rated so you can see where an email campaign will work and where post or phone will reach more of the sector. The last column is the ONS count of UK workplaces, for scale.
| Sector | Records | Named contacts | Named contact emails | Email coverage | UK workplaces (ONS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary schools | 19,729 | 19,137 | 14,038 | 71% (good) | 24,150 |
| Accountants | 16,595 | 15,049 | 8,064 | 49% (good) | 41,270 |
| Estate agents | 13,965 | 12,125 | 7,606 | 54% (good) | 31,430 |
| Care homes | 17,946 | 14,846 | 7,492 | 42% (good) | 18,970 |
| Pubs | 22,126 | 18,258 | 6,929 | 31% (good) | 37,350 |
| Garages | 21,129 | 18,466 | 6,890 | 33% (good) | 55,255 |
| Nurseries | 13,586 | 12,442 | 6,322 | 47% (good) | 23,785 |
| Recruitment agencies | 11,107 | 9,082 | 4,786 | 43% (good) | 33,540 |
| Charities | 12,546 | 10,283 | 4,388 | 35% (good) | – |
| Hairdressers | 24,135 | 22,901 | 4,386 | 18% (moderate) | 53,640 |
| Electricians | 12,149 | 11,312 | 4,189 | 34% (good) | 51,985 |
| Car dealers | 12,573 | 8,659 | 4,162 | 33% (good) | 23,765 |
| Builders | 14,263 | 12,888 | 4,069 | 29% (moderate) | 63,805 |
| Solicitors | 10,205 | 9,365 | 3,865 | 38% (good) | 16,285 |
| IT companies | 8,666 | 7,479 | 3,838 | 44% (good) | 91,840 |
| Hotels | 9,354 | 7,574 | 3,685 | 39% (good) | 13,415 |
| Architects | 6,792 | 6,358 | 3,386 | 50% (good) | 14,690 |
| Pharmacies | 10,038 | 7,510 | 3,234 | 32% (good) | 11,025 |
| Secondary schools | 4,007 | 3,891 | 2,686 | 67% (good) | 5,875 |
| Haulage companies | 6,007 | 5,443 | 2,669 | 44% (good) | 47,270 |
| Plumbers | 10,959 | 10,212 | 2,570 | 23% (moderate) | 48,500 |
| Takeaways | 24,350 | 18,570 | 2,347 | 10% (thin) | 49,360 |
| Vets | 5,061 | 3,852 | 2,239 | 44% (good) | 7,260 |
| Software companies | 5,207 | 4,246 | 2,217 | 43% (good) | 31,855 |
| Financial advisers | 4,114 | 3,587 | 2,204 | 54% (good) | 21,015 |
| Dentists | 13,748 | 11,521 | 2,166 | 16% (moderate) | 16,910 |
| Cafes | 10,504 | 8,065 | 2,131 | 20% (moderate) | 37,565 |
| Letting agents | 4,529 | 3,929 | 2,055 | 45% (good) | 24,260 |
| Roofers | 6,819 | 6,224 | 1,887 | 28% (moderate) | 13,040 |
| Restaurants | 6,656 | 4,849 | 1,819 | 27% (moderate) | 38,735 |
| Gyms | 4,966 | 3,830 | 1,654 | 33% (good) | 15,565 |
| GP surgeries | 58,734 | 46,369 | 690 | 1% (thin) | 21,255 |
Can't see your sector? We hold business records in more than 2,000 categories. Ask for a free count.
Free registers or a bought list: which do you need?
| Official registers and directories | A licensed business list | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Usually free to search | From £170 to £295 per 1,000 records |
| Built for | Checking one business or person | Marketing to many businesses |
| Download and filter | Sometimes (open data); often search only | Yes: by sector, region, county or postcode, in Excel or CSV |
| Marketing use | Depends on the terms: many registers rule it out | Yes, within PECR and UK GDPR |
| Contact details | Varies: often address only | Address, phone, named contact, and email where held |
How it works
- Tell us the sector and area. One sector or several, the whole UK or a few postcodes.
- Get a free count and sample. We'll tell you how many records match and how many have a named contact, phone number and email, and send sample records.
- Receive your list. Once you've paid, we usually send it in Excel or CSV within 24 hours.
Prices
| Number of records | Price per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 2,500 | £295 |
| 2,500 to 4,999 | £270 |
| 5,000 to 9,999 | £245 |
| 10,000 to 19,999 | £220 |
| 20,000 to 49,999 | £195 |
| 50,000 or more | £170 |
Read about our data and the marketing rules for what's in a record and how PECR and UK GDPR apply.
Lists of UK businesses: questions
Where can I get a list of UK businesses in a particular sector?
Start with the official register for that sector if there is one (for example a regulator's register or a government directory). Registers are usually free to search but are built for checking one business at a time, and many say you can't use them for marketing. For a marketing list you can filter and download, buy a licensed business list: we hold 1,486,280 UK business records in more than 2,000 categories.
Can I get a list of businesses with the decision maker's email address?
Sometimes. Of the 1,486,280 business records we hold, 1,219,031 have a named contact and 454,737 have that person's email address, but coverage varies a lot by sector: each sector page shows the exact figures. Where named emails are thin, post and phone reach far more of the sector.
Is it legal to buy a business list and market to it?
Yes, with rules. Post is allowed to any business. Live sales calls must be screened against the TPS or CTPS. Marketing emails and texts can go to companies without prior consent if you identify yourself and offer an opt-out, but sole traders and ordinary partnerships need to have consented first. Where a record names a person, UK GDPR applies too.
Why don't your counts match the official number of businesses?
Official figures count different things: a regulator counts registered people or premises, ONS counts workplaces registered for VAT or PAYE, and Companies House counts companies. Our counts are the records we hold that you can buy. Each sector page shows the official figures side by side with ours.